The Immortal Genius Spearman

Chapter 161

Thwip-thwip-thwip-thwip-thwip!

Arrows rained down from the sky, plummeting toward the heads of the imperial soldiers.

“What the—what’s happening?”

“Enemy attack! Raise your shields!”

“It’s their archers! Stay alert!”

The ambush came just as the imperial forces had barely reorganized and were making their way through a narrow mountain path.

Taking precautions against potential enemies, they had chosen the tightest passage for their march.

Galveron turned his head toward the direction of the attack.

Was it the Baroque Kingdom forces again?

“Don’t let a single one of them escape! This will be their grave!”

“To anyone who kills Aura Master Galveron, a reward of 1 platinum coin will be granted!”

“Kill Galveron!”

“Take down the Empire’s Aura Master!”

A deafening roar of voices accompanied the hail of arrows.

Thwip-thwip-thwip-thwip!

More arrows shot toward the imperial soldiers.

Thud-thud! Thwack! Thump!

“Aagh!”

“Nooo!”

“Keep low! The trees and undergrowth can shield you from their arrows!”

“Stay down!”

The imperial soldiers found some relief in the sparse trees, which served as natural shields.

The thick underbrush, which reached up to their thighs, also provided cover when they crouched low.

And then—

“The Tirkan Kingdom?”

Galveron’s eyes widened slightly in recognition.

The sudden attackers were not from the Baroque Kingdom but the Tirkan Kingdom’s forces—soldiers who had fled from the capital.

His expression hardened as flames of anger ignited in his eyes.

“Vermin like you…!”

Drawing his sword, Galveron glared at the advancing enemies.

The imperial soldiers halted their march and crouched low.

“Attack!”

“Kill them all!”

Tirkan soldiers armed with swords and spears charged downhill with a deafening battle cry.

The sheer numbers created the impression of an unstoppable tidal wave rushing toward the imperial soldiers.

The overwhelming pressure bore down on the imperials.

“Prepare for battle! Kill them all and clear the path!” Galveron bellowed.

Throb!

Though he had used a potion to treat the wound on his leg, every step sent a jolt of pain through his body.

Still—

“I’ll slaughter every last one of you!”

Galveron’s eyes gleamed with bloodlust. And then—

ROARRRR!

The massive black serpent of his aura roared as it surged forward, aimed directly at the enemy.

“It’s… it’s aura!”

“Scatter! Everyone, scatter!”

The Tirkan soldiers screamed and began to scatter to the sides, but not all could escape.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!

The devastating aura strike reshaped the landscape, carving out a massive crater on the steep downhill path.

The attack wiped out over a hundred soldiers in a single strike.

The tightly packed formation of the Tirkan soldiers left them particularly vulnerable to such a catastrophic blow.

Yet—

“He can only use aura two or three more times at most! Even an Aura Master can’t use it indefinitely!”

“Keep attacking! He can’t recklessly use aura anymore!”

“That one platinum coin is mine!”

The battlefield was drenched in madness.

The soldiers of the Tirkan Kingdom charged forward with wild desperation.

There was nowhere else for them to retreat. The only way was forward.

They were defending not just themselves but their families, who remained in nearby towns.

If this location fell, those places would burn, just like their capital.

“Push forward!”

“Keep advancing!”

More than 10,000 Tirkan soldiers encircled the mountain and attacked relentlessly, like a raging storm.

Grit.

Galveron once again summoned his aura.

While he knew his usage of aura was limited, and restraint was vital, this wasn’t the time for caution.

“Haaaah!”

ROARRRR!

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!

Another massive explosion erupted, shaking the entire mountain.

The sheer destructive force swept through everything, leaving the torn and broken bodies of Tirkan soldiers in its wake.

However—

“...Gah!”

As Galveron used aura for the third time, a sharp pain pierced his chest near his heart.

It was a clear sign that his body was nearing its limit.

Vrrrm!

Retrieving his aura, Galveron gritted his teeth and focused his remaining mana.

A bright blue energy enveloped his sword.

“Fine! Let’s settle this! Either you all die here, or I do!”

Retreat was not an option for Galveron.

Backing down here was equivalent to death. He needed to carve out a path to escape.

“Break through! Follow me, all of you!”

“Yes, sir!”

The situation was equally desperate for the imperial soldiers.

Meanwhile, the Tirkan soldiers showed no sign of relenting, tightening their encirclement to ensure Galveron could not escape.

And then—

RUMBLE!

The mountain trembled violently as anguished screams and furious cries filled the air.

***

The scene shifted to a tranquil setting.

In the guest quarters of the Baroque Kingdom’s palace, Henry stood by the window, gazing out.

“Hmm…”

The air had grown colder, but Henry sipped his warm tea calmly, his eyes closed in thought.

In his mind, he vividly pictured the ongoing battle.

“Lord Henry,” a secretary called out, approaching him.

Henry opened his eyes and turned toward the voice.

“What is it?”

“I have a question for you.”

Henry nodded, granting permission to proceed.

The secretary hesitated for a moment before asking, “Do you truly believe… they can capture the Empire’s Aura Master?”

The question was heavy, but Henry’s expression remained composed as he turned his gaze back to the window.

“Well… I wouldn’t say it’s guaranteed.”

Slurp.

The warmth of the tea traveled down Henry’s throat, spreading through his body and chasing away the chill in the air.

He sat in silence for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. Then, with a calm demeanor, he spoke.

“All we can do is try our best to kill him. Who knows? Perhaps the heavens will favor our kingdom and bring his death.”

Though Henry’s tone was steady, the secretary found himself clenching his fists unconsciously.

There was something about Henry—his uncanny ability to foresee outcomes, his meticulousness—that made the secretary believe. If anyone could take down the Empire’s Aura Master, it would be Henry.

Henry, noticing the secretary’s reaction, smirked faintly and asked, “Curious?”

“Yes.”

An Aura Master was a force capable of shaping the tides of battle.

Just one could crush thousands of soldiers and tilt the balance of wars involving tens of thousands.

The Empire’s resurgence and renewed conquest of the continent were largely attributed to the emergence of their fourth Aura Master.

If such a figure could be killed...

‘The Empire’s advance could be halted.’

That thought alone made the secretary’s pulse quicken.

He knew how much attention Henry had poured into this operation, confident in his brilliance.

But then Henry said, “Killing him will be difficult.”

“Isn’t the plan flawless?”

“Yes, it’s flawless. With the resources we’ve committed, it’s as perfect as it could possibly be.”

While it might sound arrogant, when Henry declared something as flawless, it nearly always was.

So why…?

“Why can’t we kill him if the plan is so perfect?” the secretary asked, genuinely puzzled.

Henry replied with a story.

“Let me ask you a simple question. Imagine two soldiers with basic training and nothing but spears venture into the forest to hunt an ogre. They devise an elaborate plan.”

The plan involves cutting off the ogre’s escape routes and whittling it down with ambushes.

“Do you think those two soldiers can kill the ogre?”

“...I understand your point,” the secretary said with a nod.

No matter how meticulous their plan, it was nearly impossible for ordinary soldiers to kill an ogre.

Even elite knights, trained extensively, needed a group of at least four or five to take one down—and that was under optimal conditions.

Without extraordinary skill or a miracle, no strategy could ensure success against such a foe.

“The Aura Masters… truly are extraordinary,” the secretary murmured.

The operation involved over ten thousand soldiers.

And yet Henry had likened it to two men attempting to kill an ogre, underscoring the immense power of an Aura Master.

Henry rose from his seat and patted the secretary’s shoulder gently.

“I said killing him would be difficult. But after this operation… you won’t see that Aura Master on the battlefield again.”

Even if he survived, he would no longer be a factor in this war.

“A complete retirement,” Henry concluded.

That was his goal: to cripple the Empire’s forces and maximize the coalition army’s strength.

“Now, let us move as well,” Henry said, signaling their departure.

The coalition forces were likely crossing the northern borders of the Baroque Kingdom by now.

The secretary nodded and followed Henry out of the room.

“Huff… huff… huff…”

For five days, Galveron had been on the run.

Not a single soldier remained by his side.

He hadn’t slept a wink and had barely survived by eating whatever fruits he could find along the way.

He collapsed heavily onto the ground, his shoulders heaving.

‘My mana…’

To make matters worse, his mana reserves were nearly depleted.

His face, smeared with dirt and sweat, twisted in frustration.

Suddenly—

“Search this area! He went this way!”

Galveron flattened himself against the ground as Tirkan soldiers combed the mountain above him.

‘Persistent bastards.’

They had completely locked down the mountain, leaving him with no escape route.

Even at night, they used torches to light up every corner of the terrain.

Breaking through their blockade was becoming increasingly unlikely.

“Damn those scum…!”

If he could just get one chance, he could break through.

Or, at the very least, if he had time to recover his mana with his training method…

But

***

“Huff… huff…”

Five days without proper food or water had left him utterly exhausted.

His wounds, initially treated with potions, had reopened from constant movement, and his strength was waning.

How much longer could he endure?

As his vision blurred, Galveron gritted his teeth, waiting for the Tirkan soldiers above to move on.

After what felt like an eternity, the sounds of their movement finally ceased.

Swoosh.

Crawling cautiously, Galveron emerged onto the path.

He had long discarded his heavy armor, now left with only a single sword strapped to his waist.

Looking down toward the mountain’s base, he muttered to himself.

‘This path… it might be possible.’

Over the past five days, he had scouted potential escape routes.

But in his current state, there was no certainty he could make it through.

‘Still…’

He couldn’t afford to delay any longer.

Clenching his jaw, he forced his anger down, focusing his remaining strength.

Galveron began moving slowly toward the path he had scouted.

But then—

BOOM!

A red flare shot into the sky, its light cutting through the mountain mist.

Galveron’s eyes widened in shock.

It was an imperial signal flare.

At the same time—

“Uraaaaaaaah!”

A deafening war cry rose from the mountain below.

Turning toward the sound, Galveron saw them.

“…Reinforcements?”

The Empire’s forces were attacking the Tirkan soldiers who had encircled the mountain.